


Observations

by AngelofDarkness1605



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-19
Updated: 2016-09-20
Packaged: 2018-07-25 11:26:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 14
Words: 19,712
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7530922
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AngelofDarkness1605/pseuds/AngelofDarkness1605
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The citizens of a tiny town in Maine are increasingly bewildered by the interactions between their much-feared landlord and the new librarian.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Mary Margaret

Mary Margaret Nolan is lingering in Mr. Gold's shop, admiring the gorgeous mobile which consists of a variety of beautifully crafted unicorns of glass. It would be the perfect item to hang above her baby's crib in the newly decorated room of her and her husband's soon to arrive child.

Her back is purposefully towards the landlord, the cold and harsh shop owner making her as nervous as always even while he quietly works behind the counter, seemingly no longer aware of her presence.

Just when she is about to leave, knowing that she'll never be able to afford the mobile, someone bursts into the eerily silent shop. She recognizes the new arrival as Belle French, the woman who moved into town last week to reopen the library.

She heads straight towards Mr. Gold with a smile on her face, much to Mary Margaret's confusion. Only last night she overheard a conversation at Granny's where Ruby warned Belle of the very man she's quickly walking towards right now.

Witnessing the unfolding scene from beneath her lashes, she is relieved at least that both of them seem to be unaware of her continued presence in the dimly lit corner of the shop. Still, she trembles at the outright hostile way that the landlord looks at the approaching woman, placing a protective hand on her baby bump.

"You must be Mr. Gold," the librarian says, bewildering Mary Margaret yet more by extending her hand to him over the counter with a beaming smile.

"I am," he responds, sounding more neutral than she thought anyone could be, ignoring her offered hand.

"I'm Belle French."

"I see."

"I'm the new librarian; I moved into the apartment above the library last week. I'm here to introduce myself and get to know you, if you can spare a few moments."

She looks at him expectantly, but if anything the daggers he stares at her have become only sharper.

"I don't see the point of continuing this little conversation. You already introduced yourself and since you knew my name before you came here, there's no doubt in my mind that the good people of this town have already told you all there is to know about me."

"I've _heard_ of you, but I don't _know_ you," Belle replies cheerfully, as if Ruby didn't tell her only half a day ago just how dangerous the landlord is and that she should be grateful that her apartment isn't owned by him.

"You've heard of me, yet you still want to know me?" he asks, his voice heavy with incredulity.

"A mysterious landlord and pawnbroker who only talks to people during deals and rent day, who has a shop filled from floor to ceiling with antiques? _Of course_ I want to know you!"

She offers him her hand again and this time he actually shakes it, looking at her with disbelief and confusion alike. Mary Margaret feels exactly the same way, wondering how on earth Belle can have possibly came to _this_ conclusion regarding the most hated and distrusted man in town.

"It sounds like you indeed already know all there is to know about me," he says, more tense than hostile this time.

"I very much doubt that's true."

They seem to realize at the same time that they're still holding hands. Mr. Gold ends the only somewhat friendly touch he might as well had in a very long time - if ever - as if he has been burned. It makes Mary-Margaret nervous just to stand there in the dark corner, having no idea how he might react to Belle - or to _her_ , when he realizes that his meeting with the new librarian is being witnessed.

"You can prove me wrong, if you like?" she says softly, resting her hand casually on his lower arm. The gesture causes both the landlord and Mary Margaret herself to gasp. "You don't have to, of course, but I'd really appreciate it. I greatly prefer to get to know people personally rather than believe rumors and gossip about them."

"Do you… do you have any plans for the library?" he asks after a few long moments.

Belle will probably think that he's being obtuse by countering her question with one of his own, but Mary Margaret knows how extremely rare it is for the landlord to express interest in the pursuits of another human being.

Or perhaps she understands after all, for Belle launches into a cheerful explanation of her plans and hopes for the newly reopened library. To the surprise of both women, the landlord hangs to her every word, especially when the conversation shifts to her personal life.

He goes as far as to offer shockingly sincere sympathies when she tells him that she ended her engagement. There's something in his eyes which Mary Margaret can't quite define when the librarian merely shrugs and tells him that she's better off without her former fiancé anyway.

As if that isn't bewildering enough yet, he actually responds to Belle's curious questions about his own life, revealing more about himself and his interests than Mary Margaret herself has learned in all the years that she has lived in the same town as him - which admittedly is hardly anything at all.

The librarian is listening intently to everything he says, her smile betraying that she likes what she hears - that she seems to like _him_.

The conversation goes on and on. To her ever increasing bewilderment, she hears Mr. Gold chuckle more than once and she catches both of them glancing at the counter between them, which prevents them from subtly inching closer to one another.

Still, that doesn't prevent rather silly smiles from appearing on both their faces. They don't falter even when the conversation lulls to a stop and they just stand there, drinking in the sight of each other.

If she didn't know any better, Mary Margaret would be certain that she has just witnessed two people falling in love almost at first sight. But with _those_ two, she can't quite believe that. Indeed, it's difficult to determine what is more unlikely: for the cynical, aloof and generally unpleasant landlord to grow feelings for someone at all, let alone so quickly, or a beautiful young woman to develop a crush on someone like Mr. Gold.

"I've got some antique books that might interest you," he eventually says tentatively.

"You do?!" she asks, almost breathless.

"They're right there in the corner," he says, to Mary Margaret's relief pointing at a part of the shop which is the opposite of the one where she is still standing.

Belle all but squeals in delight when she spots the densely packed shelves as she heads in the indicated direction. Mary Margaret takes this as her cue to get out of the shop before their attention is drawn to her after all - but not before she witnesses Gold trailing behind the beautiful librarian like a lost but hopeful puppy.


	2. Ruby

Ruby Lucas chuckles when Belle French walks into the diner, the dreamy woman looking yet more distracted than usual. She's strikingly radiant, too. Signaling at her grandmother that she's going to take her break, the waitress catches the gaze of her new friend and they head for an empty table together.

" _Spill!_ " Ruby encourages her before they have fully settled themselves, handing her one of the two iced teas she took from behind the counter.

"I met someone yesterday," Belle sighs happily. "He's… he's _wonderful_."

"Well, come on, you've got to give me more than that!" the waitress exclaims when her friend stares off into the distance with an expression of bliss on her face. "What's he like?!"

"He's well-read and intelligent, and he's also very handsome. He dresses very well and his hair… his _voice_ … And he's got books, so many of them… _rare_ books… He's sort of awkward, but in a really, really nice way, and..."

Ruby can't help but frown when she realizes that she must be referring to Dr. Hopper, the only man in town who remotely fits her description. She has never really given Archie a second thought, but now that Belle describes him like this, clearly having a crush on him herself, there's a twinge of regret and a new awareness for the big-hearted, somewhat shy psychiatrist.

"You're not going to like it, though," Belle says, looking back at her friend.

"How so?" Ruby asks carefully before taking a sip of iced tea, afraid that her epiphany regarding Archie is showing on her face.

"Well, when we talked this weekend, you sort of… warned me about him."

It takes Ruby a few horrifying seconds to realize to what particular conversation she is referring… that Belle isn't talking about Archie at all. At this shocking realization, she can't hold in the sip of iced tea she just took, spitting it out all over the table between them.

"So the 'handsome' and 'awkward' man who has captured your attention and - clearly - your affection is _Gold_?!" she exclaims, oblivious to the sudden increase of the volume of her voice and the attention it draws from most of the patrons - and her grandmother.

"Well… yeah," Belle replies, rather uneasily, reaching in her handbag for a few tissues to clean up the mess on the table. "I mean… I know what you've said about him, what almost everyone in town seems to say about him. But yesterday I talked to him for almost three hours and he's… he's _lovely_. He's witty and charming and generous. Or at least, he _can_ be. I'm well aware that I hardly actually know him, but the way he was yesterday… I firmly believe he's not nearly as bad as everyone seems to say he is."

All Ruby can do in response is stare at her friend in disbelief, wondering how on earth she can keep her out of the landlord's clutches. There's no doubt in her mind that Gold can be attracted to the beautiful woman, but even if it weren't for his horrid reputation she's so far out of his league that it can barely be expressed.

"So what are you going to do now?" Ruby manages to ask eventually, regaining control over her voice and motions when she helps her clean up the mess she just made.

"I… I don't know, actually. I was wondering if you can give me some advice? I don't have all that much experience with… well, with this whole dating thing. As I told you when we met, the only person I've had a relationship with is my ex fiancé, who pursued me no matter what I did."

Belle sighs, taking another distracted sip of iced tea.

"There's never been anyone I was actually interested in… not until I met _him_. So I've got no idea… I have _no_ idea how to make a guy I actually like interested in me as well. But I want to know… very much so. Maybe you have some suggestions?"

"Honey, you know I love you and that I want the best for you, but… well, if I want what's good for you, which I _do_ , the only thing I can advise you is to stay away as far from Gold as you can. That man is bad news. _Very_ bad news."

"I see," she replies, leaning back. "I see. Well, I suppose I might as well go back to the library, my break is almost over anyway."

"I'm sorry Belle, I didn't mean it like that. I shouldn't have… please don't be mad at me."

"I'm not. I just… I need some time to think, all right? If you still want to help me right now, can you please get me a tea, extra hot? It's quite chilly in the library today."

"Of course," Ruby says as she stands up, grateful for this small peace offering. "It's coming up straight away."

She hurries to the counter to get the order, grateful that Belle follows her immediately and that she pays for her drinks with a small smile on her face.

"We'll talk again later, all right?" the librarian suggests when she turns around to leave.

"Definitely!"

"Try to keep an open mind in the meantime," she calls out over her shoulder as she walks out of the diner.

Speaking of the devil: at exactly the same time that Belle speaks, the subject of their conversation walks in, looking admittedly less chagrined and hostile than usual. He freezes when he spots the librarian heading in his direction, a smile undeniably appearing on his face.

Belle doesn't see that though, or at least not yet, for she's still glancing back at Ruby awaiting her response… only for the waitress to stare in horror when she keeps walking towards the exit, straight in Gold's direction, with a cup of steaming tea in her hand.

"Careful!" Ruby shouts when she finds her voice - but it's already too late.

By the time her warning registers and Belle looks at what's right in front of her after all, she's already in very close vicinity to Gold. He just stands there, gaping at her, oblivious to the hot water she's carrying.

Time seems to slow down, but that doesn't change the fact that the landlord and the librarian bodily collide with one another, instinctively clinging to one another in an attempt not to lose their balance. As if that isn't bad enough yet, the entire content of her cup of tea ends up falling down his chest, all over his tailored clothes.

Belle cries out in horror and Gold exclaims his shock and pain, glancing from the librarian to his soaked and steaming clothes and back again. Each and every patron and staff member in the diner holds their breath, convinced that his anger will be swift and horrible. She'll probably be very luck if she gets out of this situation in one piece.

But seconds pass, almost an entire minute, and they remain right as they are - including their hands on each other's arms. They merely stare at each other, oblivious to the crowd watching them. The by now empty cup she is still holding clatters to the floor, an entire conversation seemingly going on between the two of them although not a single word is said.

Ruby realizes in that moment that there's no need to give her any tips on how to get Gold's attention even if she wanted to. It's terribly clear to her now that he is already at least just as smitten as Belle is herself.

"I'm so sorry," she brings out eventually, breathless, gesturing at his ruined clothes. "I shouldn't have…"

"It's no matter, Miss French," he remarks quietly, appearing to struggle to find words. "This is an accident, that's all. There's no harm done."

Ruby watches the conversation with ever increasing disbelief. If she still had any doubts about the landlord's feelings for Belle, they'd be gone by now. It's bewildering enough that Gold doesn't seem to care that she just spilled steaming tea all over his expensive suit. If anything, he looks like he's almost _grateful_ that she did, if only because it gives him a reason to talk to her and be in her vicinity.

"I'm not so certain about that," Belle exclaims, her hands fluttering over the afflicted area without actually touching it. "That water was _hot_. You might have been burned. The sooner we check for any injuries, the better. There's a bathroom right here which we can use."

Oblivious to the fact that each and every person in the diner is watching them with open mouths, Belle matter-of-factly takes his hand in her own and guides him towards the bathroom she mentioned. To complete the utterly surreal scene, Gold follows her without protest.


	3. Granny

Granny narrows her eyes when Belle all but drags Gold towards the bathrooms in the back of her diner, still steaming water dripping from his overpriced clothes which each steps he takes. She is quite fond of the kind-hearted if rather naïve and impulsive new librarian, but she doesn't trust the landlord for as far as she can throw him.

Her frown deepens when the young woman ushers the man who has at least two decades on her into the ladies' bathroom. Granny doesn't know whether she's driven by concern or suspicion with the young woman's strange actions, but it wins out over her tendency to keep a close eye on her establishment at all times during opening hours.

Casting a warning glance at her granddaughter, who looks at the librarian and the landlord with wide eyes, she quietly follows the couple. She has never quite liked it that there are no doors to separate the bathrooms from the hallways - and it's not as if there's anything she can do about it, not with Gold charging as much rent as he does.

But now she's grateful that there's no door that they can close behind them without actually retreating into a cubicle. Keeping an eye on the landlord without him knowing that he's watched in this highly unexpected moment is the least payback she can get for his ridiculously high rents.

"I'm so, _so_ sorry for spilling my tea all over you, Mr. Gold."

It's bewildering enough that he didn't rip the librarian's head off the moment she ruined his suit and quite possibly his skin as well, but it's more surprising yet that she sounds genuinely sorry. Granny doesn't see why Belle would truly care about him beyond the consequences her actions may have on her own welfare. She may not know the landlord like all others in town do, but surely she can't possibly _like_ the man.

"It's no matter, Miss French, as I said before. No matter at all. An innocent accident, that's all it was."

Indeed, Granny is downright suspicious at this highly uncharacteristic dismissal of the situation. It's clear to her now that the cold, calculating man is going to take gross advantage of the young librarian's mishap.

_Not on_ my _watch_.

"I beg to differ, Mr. Gold. That water was _boiling;_ it may have burned your skin. We need to put cold water on it to prevent any permanent damage."

"I… your concern is touching, Miss French, but I highly doubt the water reached my skin at all. If it makes you feel any better, I'll check for any injuries I may have when I'm back at home tonight."

"But that'll take _hours_! No, we'll check right here and now. I have to know, Mr. Gold. It's bad enough that I did this in the first place, but I wouldn't able to forgive myself if I caused any additional harm by not checking this out right now."

"Fine, Miss French, if I can reassure you this way…"

"You can. All right then… please take off your clothes?"

There's a spluttering noise and for a moment Granny fears that she's the one producing it. But when she peeks around the door opening, she sees that it's very much Gold who looks at Belle like she has grown a second head.

"I mean… the clothes on the upper half of your body, of course. We need those off to see if the tea damaged to your skin."

Granny is somewhat aware that her current position allows the two of them to notice her immediately if they were to look in her direction, but she's frozen to the spot when Belle reaches for his tie as if it's the most normal thing in the world.

"All right?" she inquires softly, fingering the soaked lapels of his suit jacket.

Gold nods weakly but unmistakably and Granny fears she is in danger of losing her jaw to the floor when the young woman helps him shrug out of his coat, suit jacket and waistcoat. As if that isn't unheard of in its own right, he doesn't stop her either when she carefully removes his tie; in fact, he _assists_ her with hands which are shaking but helpful nonetheless.

As if _that_ isn't bizarre enough yet, they get rid of his sleeve garters and then, just like that, Belle unbuttons his wet dress shirt and peels it off his chest, throwing it on the growing heap of fabric in one of the sinks. It seems like Gold gets smaller with each item of clothing that's removed from his person.

"You're wearing a lot of layers," the librarian remarks good-naturedly, reaching for his undershirt as if there's truly nothing that the dangerously impulsive woman will stop at. "Why am I not surprised?"

"Miss French, I…"

Gold reaches for her hand, then withdraws, as if the notion of touching her is yet worse than being undressed by her.

"What is it?" she asks, matter-of-factly taking his hands in her own.

"I… there's nothing the matter, Miss French. It's just that… all of this is… unfamiliar."

"I certainly hope you don't go through life getting steaming water thrown at you, yeah," Belle smiles easily. "Speaking for myself, I don't normally do this either."

Gold lets out a choked sound of sorts and that somehow is the signal for both of them to let her pull his damp undershirt over his head.

"Just like I thought," she says, gesturing at his by now finally exposed chest. "I'm afraid the hot water did get onto you."

As if realizing only then that he's in fact shirtless opposite a female who is half his age to boot, the landlord covers his chest with his arms in a gesture of clear self-consciousness. If she didn't hate him so much, Granny would have felt sorry for him - almost.

"You're right, it's quite unfair for you to stand there like that while I still got all my clothes on, isn't it?" she says, reaching for him to caress his bare arms where they are pressed against his admittedly slightly burnt - and narrow - chest.

The unfolding scene may have been highly unlikely so far, but that's nothing compared to the moment in which the young librarian casually takes off her jacket and blouse, leaving her upper body covered only by a bra which seems more stylish than functional.

Never mind impulsive… Granny starts to fear that Belle isn't entirely right in the head for doing _this_ with Gold of all people. At least the landlord seems somewhat reasonable in this inane situation, quickly averting his gaze after gaping at the librarian not quite unlike a fish for a long moment.

"I'm keeping this on, if you don't mind," she says, sounding a little awkward after all when she points at her bra. "Now, back to the reason we got here to begin with…"

Leaving Gold where he is, Belle approaches an empty sink and takes a some tissues from the dispenser. She wets them beneath a tap before stepping back to the landlord, who slowly lowers his arms after all when she reaches for him with the wet tissues.

"Cold water is the best way to treat injuries like this. Luckily your clothes absorbed most of the water and the heat, but it's better to be safe than sorry, don't you think?"

Granny is quite certain that Gold isn't capable of much thinking in the first place when Belle runs the soaked tissues all over his chest, her movements soon about as functional as her bra. With detached, morbid curiosity she watches how the young woman all but _caresses_ his chest.

Drops of water run down the landlord's chest, each and every single one of them caught by the librarian before they reach his trousers. Whenever there is no water to stop, she rests her left hand on his side.

"I'm sorry to tell you that your skin is quite red as well, Miss French," he eventually mutters roughly, when she still doesn't give any sign of stopping any time soon, still not quite looking at her chest while he gestures at her.

Granny frowns, unlike Gold apparently seeing that her face is at least as red. The flush has clearly nothing to do with any tea which might have ended up on her as well, because the redness wasn't there a few minutes ago. It's beyond her however how Belle has become this flushed, because it somehow obviously isn't from embarrassment.

"Yeah, but I'm quite sure _that_ has nothing to do with… on second thought, you're absolutely right. I could _definitely_ use some cold water there. Now how might we achieve that?"

Before Granny knows what's happening, the librarian has wet the tissues again and is encouraging Gold to run them over her torso as well. Deciding that she has seen more than enough of this for a lifetime, she rushes back to the diner, to her chagrin admitting that Belle in all likelihood doesn't quite need her help when it comes to the most feared man in town.


	4. David

David Nolan has to make an effort to keep his amusement to himself when he spots Gold lingering in a corner of the supermarket; the very corner where the only fresh-cut flowers in town are sold since the local florist went bankrupt years ago.

The landlord looks utterly torn when he paces back and forth through the small sales area, glaring daggers at the flowers as if they have personally offended him. Taking pity on the other man, David heads towards him after he has paid for his groceries.

He wouldn't consider Gold a friend as such, he doesn't quite trust him either, but there's no denying that the landlord has helped him out more than once. David doesn't quite know why he did so, but his motivations didn't appear to be entirely selfish at those times.

He may barely know him and he may have never seen him personally interact with the new librarian, but he has heard more than enough from his wife and his friends to know what the landlord is trying to do - and why he is so unsure about actually doing it.

Gold looks more frustrated by the second and seems to be about to leave just when David reaches him, his approach unnoticed.

"I advise a single red rose."

"I beg your pardon?!" Gold snaps as he turns towards him abruptly, making David realize that this may not have been such a good idea after all.

"You look like you're looking for a gift for a date," the younger man soldiers on, purposefully not mentioning Belle's name. "A first date, by the looks of it. I advise a single red rose. You can't go wrong with that."

"Of course I can go wrong with that. She has no idea how I… she _shouldn't_ know how I feel. There's no way that she can possibly feel the same way."

"Well, you won't know that until you talk to her about it, right?"

"What would be the point of that? This can only end badly. She shouldn't ever have to know that I…"

"Wow, you've got it bad," David sighs in sympathy at the other man's almost tangible despair. He had no idea that anyone could be so nervous about their love for someone, let alone the aloof landlord. "Hasn't it occurred to you that she may feel exactly the same way about you, but that she's afraid too to talk to you about it because she's also convinced that you don't return her feelings?"

"Don't be ridiculous. How can she possibly feel the same way about _me_? She's brave and gentle and _kind_ , she's young and _beautiful_ whereas I… well, I'm not any of those things."

"Well, you're both pretty smart and you both like to read. That's got to count for something. At least you can understand her, I don't think many people can. Not really. Mary Margaret and I were talking to Belle at Granny's the other day and we had no idea about half the things she was referring to."

To Gold's credit, he merely shrugs helplessly rather than pointing out that, as David is well aware of, he doesn't exactly consider his wife and he the most clever people in town.

"That's important in a relationship, you know. To be able to talk, to communicate."

"I can barely string two words together when I see her, let alone when I actually try to interact with her," the landlord admits, his head bowed.

"You can always try to do things which don't involve talking," he suggests meaningfully.

The other man looks up after all at those words, but the utter disbelief and denial he sees there isn't exactly what he was aiming for. The landlord probably knows to at least some extent how much most of the people in town dislike him, but David can't help but think in that very moment that there's no one who hates Gold as much as he does himself.

Indeed, the landlord seems completely convinced that he's entirely unlovable. If only people knew _this_ side of him… if only someone like Belle could bring it out in him.

"At least you got to second base," David adds, trying to talk some confidence into him after all when he recalls what he heard at Granny's this morning.

"Second base?" Gold echoes, not understanding.

"Well, you… uh," he replies, regretting his remark yet more so at this reminder how old-fashioned Gold is in so many aspects. "You… you touched her breasts."

Gold looks at him in horror, eyes wide like a deer caught in the headlights. David forgets about the awkwardness of the situation for a moment when he finds the landlord of all people looking at him like this.

"I… I suppose I did. Technically. But it wasn't like _that_!"

"She's seen you _shirtless_."

"Your point being, Mr. Nolan?" he asks icily.

"She didn't exactly run away when that happened, did she?"

The more he thinks about it, the more David is convinced that there is a very real possibility that the slightly odd librarian actually returns the landlord's blossoming love for her.

"She didn't, no," Gold murmurs in disbelief. "How… how many people know about that?"

The slightly panicked look on David's face probably tells him all he needs to know, for his shoulders sag yet further and he darkly mutters something about the lack of privacy in this town.

"I really think you should give her a rose and tell her how you feel," David continues, recalling why they're having this conversation in the first place. "At least it'll be out in the open. You can't go on like this."

"But what should I say to her?! I can't just go to her, give her a rose and hope for the best! I need… I need a plan, an explanation. But I haven't been able to think of anything at all and I don't think that..."

"I think you're making this a lot harder than it should be. You don't have to tell her anything; the rose will speak for itself. All you have to do is give it to her. There are only two possibilities: she'll accept the rose and your feelings, or she won't. In the first case, everything is fine. In the second case, all you'll have to do is tell her that you accept and respect her decision. Something tells me that _that_ won't be a problem for you."

Gold sighs again, shaking his head, but he glances back at the bucket of roses standing a few feet away from them and straightens himself a little.

"Thank you very much for your help, Mr. Nolan, it's very much appreciated. As a token of my gratitude, please inform your wife that the glass mobile in my shop she's so fond of will be considerably lowered in price next week."

"I'll do that, thanks," David exclaims, barely able to believe what he's hearing. Gold must have been yet more desperate for advice than he thought to give discount on the mobile which Mary Margaret has been talking about for weeks. "Best of luck to you."

"Thank you," he says stiffly, returning his full attention to the roses.

Picking up his groceries again, David intends to head straight back home to tell his wife the good news - along with the details of this very conversation, of course. But he changes his mind when he's outside, from where he can still see Gold, if barely so. Curious, he waits to see the landlord linger for another few minutes before finally purchasing a single red rose.


	5. Archie

Archibald Hopper catches the librarian's gaze from the other edge of the aisle, guiltily glancing at the clock when she gestures at her wrist. It's almost half an hour past closing time. Looking back at her apologetically, he's relieved that she merely smiles at him from behind the circulation desk, giving him a thumbs-up.

Returning the gesture, the psychiatrist makes himself comfortable in the arm chair once more. It really is a wonderful thing what Belle has done with the library. It's amazing how easily and comfortably he can access so many books and professional journals now. Not to mention the friendship which has developed between the two of them.

No matter how much he enjoys being in the library, Archie is restless today, which is why he hasn't read nearly as much of the latest psychiatry journal as he would like. At first he thought it was due to his own turmoil, caused by the very charming but doubtlessly for him unattainable Ruby Lucas who has sought out his company remarkably often in the past few days.

But as he tried to focus on his work rather than on daydreams of what might or might not be possible between the wonderful woman and himself, he realized that Belle too is brimming with energy of both a participative and rather nervous energy. Whenever he glances at her, she's looking up from her book more often than not, staring into the distance with an unidentifiable look on her face.

His thoughts are interrupted by the sound of the library doors opening despite the late hour. Archie is quite certain that all other patrons already left, but the sound of footsteps approaching the circulation desk is unmistakeable… and so is the regular tapping of a cane on the brand new linoleum.

Still, even when Mr. Gold steps into the psychiatrist's line of sight with a single red rose in his hand behind his back, it's difficult to believe that the highly solitary pawnbroker actually seeks someone out like this… especially because his intentions seem to be quite unusual a well.

All but holding his breath, Archie can't help but watch his new friend and the pawnbroker whose character he still can't wrap his head around. Mr. Gold is in his professional opinion by far the most interesting man in town, but after all these years he still has no idea why the landlord is the way he is… whether his interior is as coldly confident as his exterior.

"Mr. Gold!" Belle cries out, to the psychiatrist's surprise sounding very pleased to see him. "It's so lovely of you to visit me."

Archie has the distinct impression that the landlord means to say something in return. He in fact sees that the other man is opening and closing his mouth, but no actual sound comes out. It's equally intriguing that she rushes from behind her desk to come to stand in front of him.

As if all of that isn't surprising enough yet, she casually rests her hand on his arm, looking at him expectantly. At least this seems to bewilder Mr. Gold just as much as Archie himself… although the latter seems to have an epiphany regarding the librarian sooner than the latter.

No matter how unlikely it may seem, it becomes clear to him that Belle _likes_ the seemingly untouchable landlord… and he likes her back just as much. Archie may see that in the way they gaze at one another, delight and nervousness mirrored in both their expressions. But given the way they continue to stand opposite one another, uncertain, they haven't come to the conclusion yet themselves that their feelings for one another are very much mutual.

"Miss French…"

"Mr. Gold, what…"

"Please forgive me, I…"

Swallowing visibly, the landlord takes the rose he still kept behind his back and trusts it in the librarian's direction, his head bowed. She takes it eagerly, beaming at him with more joy than he has ever seen her looking at anyone or anything.

Mr. Gold doesn't notice though, his gaze still solely focused on the floor, as if he thoroughly believes that expressing his feelings for her will mean the immediate end of their relationship. Still, her meaning can't escape even him when she squeals in delight and throws her arms around him, pulling herself against him.

Archie tenses at the sudden and highly unexpected physical contact, and so does the landlord… only for him to gradually, very gradually relax into the librarian's embrace, his eyes tightly shut. The psychiatrist watches in bewilderment and joy alike how the other man eventually lowers his shoulders and settles his hands on her waist with utter tentativeness and reverence.

"Are you asking me out, Mr. Gold?" she asks, her voice muffled by the fabric of his coat which her face is still pressed against.

"I… I am, Miss French," he replies, tilting his head a little more, until it is brushing her curls and he can breathe in her scent discreetly. "But of course, if my attentions are unwelcome, please be assured that…"

"They're not unwelcome, not at all," she quickly interrupts him. "If anything, I'm very glad that you came to me this evening… if you wouldn't have asked me out today, I probably would have asked _you_ out tomorrow."

"I couldn't have thought…"

"Me neither. I know that I barely know you, Mr. Gold. But I want to go out with you. Very much."

"I want that as well," he breathes, still holding on to her.

"So, since we're going on a date… what do you have in mind?"

"I… I don't know, Miss French. I hadn't… I haven't thought that far ahead."

"Surely you have _some_ ideas?"

"I do not, I'm afraid. I really hadn't… I dared not expect that you would accept my affections, let alone reciprocate them. I dared not to think beyond this point."

"I did," she says, if anything holding onto him yet more tightly. "I was thinking… I've found a lovely, quiet spot in the park. The weather is expected to be rather lovely in the coming few days. Maybe we can have a picnic? Just the two of us?"

"I would like that, very much."

When Mr. Gold opens his eyes for a moment, as if to convince himself that he isn't dreaming after all, Archie is quite certain that he sees the shine of tears in them.

"Me too," she breathes, "very much."

"It's Saturday tomorrow. Maybe we can…"

"Yes," she eagerly says before he has even finished speaking.

"One o'clock?"

"Sounds perfect. Will you come pick me up here?"

"It would be my honor and my pleasure, Miss French."

She giggles in a manner which the landlord clearly didn't expect from her… or at least, not in response to something _he_ said.

"I can't wait," she says happily.

"Me neither," he mutters, his face by now entirely buried in her hair.

Realizing that he has observed the future couple much longer than he should and that he has plenty of food for thought for the rest of the day, Archie quickly clears the desk where he was working. Subsequently, he quietly makes his way out of the library, giving the still embracing and softly conversing couple all the privacy they deserve.

The psychiatrist is certain of one thing now: Mr. Gold's interior is _definitely_ not as coldly confident as his exterior.


	6. Regina

Regina Mills purposefully makes her way through Storybrooke Public Park in the middle of town on a disgustingly sunny and warm Sunday afternoon. She scans the grass, flowers, trees and bushes around her with narrowed, critical eyes, hoping to find something about the greenery unkempt or out of place.

The mayor _loathes_ disorder in her personal domain, can't stand to see even a single bit of grass where it doesn't belong. Besides, she'd love to have a reason to renegotiate the contract with the ridiculously expensive landscaping company, which is unfortunately the only somewhat competent one in the entire region.

It's almost a disappointment that she doesn't find a single patch of grass longer than the rest, not a single plant which isn't neatly lined up with its neighbours. What she does find is dozens of smiling citizens relaxing happily in the park, further reminding her of her own sense of misery which she just can't seem to shake no matter how successful she is.

Spotting Gold's pawn shop from the edge of the park, her lip curls upwards ever so slightly at the reminder that there's someone in town who's yet more hated and lonelier than she is herself. He may get the best of her more often than she'd like, but that doesn't change the fact that he's _got_ to be yet unhappier than she is.

Regina chuckles with schadenfreude when she thinks of the landlord's ridiculous infuriation with the new librarian. No matter how displeased the mayor was that the public demanded the library to be reopened, it turned out for the best.

After all, there's no way that the girl is ever going to return the pathetic feelings of a sour and scrawny cripple twice her age, whereas she very much _is_ by far the greatest weakness of Gold the mayor has ever been able to discover.

With that delicious prospect in mind, she continues to stalk through the park. Her eyes still highly alert and suspicious, she's determined to find at least one person who she can get accused of littering a public place now that the park itself has proven to be once more perfectly in order.

When she reaches the furthest, usually deserted corner of the park, Regina hears a familiar voice. There's a ghost of a smile on her face when she encounters the subject of her thoughts, who appears to have sunk so low that he's talking to himself in public now.

All but rubbing her hands together with glee, she creeps closer towards the source of the sound, making certain that the tall bushes hide her from sight as she peers through a few small, open spots.

To her bewilderment, Gold isn't alone. Somehow, he has persuaded the woman he is besotted with to join him for a picnic. Regina watches in bewilderment how Belle French - carrying a picnic basket on her right arm, her left arm linked with the landlord's - accompanies him to a sunny spot in the previously deserted corner of the park.

Her confusion further increases when the librarian patiently spreads out a blanket in the grass and goes as far as to help the landlord sit down at her side. Gold seems to be as dumbfounded as Regina, but at least he has the presence of mind to start unpacking the basket while Belle settles herself as well.

It's… unsettling, to see him like this, looking a lot less hostile than usual. There's no sign of the suit jacket or even the waistcoat he usually doesn't leave his house without, the sleeves of his purple dress shirt casually rolled up to his elbows. Not to mention the fact that he's in the company of a woman whose dress leaves a considerable amount of skin exposed.

The mayor almost laughs out loud in amusement when she can see through the bushes that the landlord's hands are betraying his anxiety, shaking so badly that he almost drops their sandwiches in the grass.

"Try to relax," Belle mutters in a strangely loving voice, placing a steadying hand on his, going as far as to rub her thumb along his.

"Easier said than done," he mutters, sheepishly looking at the librarian.

"There's nothing to be afraid of. I'm not going anywhere."

Gold says something in a disbelieving tone in response, but it doesn't register in the mayor's mind, as she is trying to make sense of what she's witnessing. Belle French must be up to something for her to accept the landlord's company like this, going as far as to reassure the old fool. She is determined to find out what the librarian is trying to achieve by cozying up to the richest and most powerful man in town like this.

He reaches for a large juice box and two glasses, clearly in an attempt to control himself, filling one of the glasses and handing it to Belle. Regina can't tell what happens exactly, but the hands of the highly unlikely couple touch when she takes the glass from him and the next moment, the contents are spilled all over the librarian's summer dress.

"Sweetheart, I'm so sorry," Gold cries out, abruptly withdrawing his hands and leaning away from her. "I shouldn't have…"

"What did you call me?!" she asks urgently, completely ignoring the mess on her barely-there clothes.

Regina can only barely refrain from chuckling aloud at the discovery that he not only spilled a beverage all over his date, but that he also used a term of endearment which she clearly doesn't approve of.

"I'm so, _so_ sorry, sw… Miss French _._ I shouldn't have… this was a bad idea. I should go. I'll… I'll leave you in peace and I won't bother you again."

"Do you want to kiss me, Mr. Gold?"

The librarian's blunt and utterly unexpected question takes both Gold and their unknown audience utterly aback. Regina doesn't know whether to be horrified or amusement, although the latter soon wins out when she sees the look on his face.

"Miss French, I… what are you asking?!"

"I think my question is quite simple. Do you want to _kiss_ me?"

" _No!_ I… I… no! Or... y-yes, I… I mean, I'd like to, _yes_ , but I know very well that you don't want _me_ to. Please don't think…. I would _never_ expect or ask for something that you aren't freely giving and…"

Moving so quickly that it's almost a blur, Belle closes the distance between the landlord and herself. Grasping the front of his dress shirt with one hand and a handful of his hair with the other, she slants her lips over his.

Regina's mouth falls open when she watches the exchange, barely able to believe what she's seeing. This went from weird to utterly bizarre really fast, but there's no denying that the pretty librarian is actually kissing Gold, no matter how unrefined and overenthusiastic her efforts may be.

In fact, she continues to do so, especially when the landlord overcomes his shock and returns her affections with the same pathetic overexcitement. The mayor has the urge to gag at the sight of it, disgust at seeing the couple blindly paw at each other winning out over the jealousy that spreads throughout her at the discovery that even someone like Gold has found someone who apparently genuinely seems to feel this way about him.

It's ridiculous, really. First that obnoxious Mary Margaret got married and gave birth to a daughter shortly afterwards, then Archie and Ruby of all people got together and now _these_ two. It's as if there's something in the water… maybe she should launch an investigation into that, starting with the water company.

With a thunderous expression on her face, Regina turns around and marches away from the couple as quickly as she can. Almost nauseous now that the image of the landlord clumsily returning the kisses of his much younger lover is branded into her mind, it doesn't even occur to her to have them arrested for public indecency.


	7. Ashley

Ashley Boyd sighs deeply when she enters the next room of the largest house in town, dust already gathering there once more despite the fact that she cleaned it exactly a week ago. It's beyond her why anyone would want to live in these sprawling yet cramped spaces, let alone someone who is all alone.

Gold may be a bastard, his house may be a creepy and dark maze, but at least he pays her well to clean the countless rooms, most of them barely used, and to keep quiet about it. Discretion has never been her strongest suit, but she's got to make a living somehow.

Besides, if there would have been _anything_ of a remotely gossip-worthy nature in the landlord's home, she would have found it after cleaning every inch of it for almost two years in a row.

Without warning, the front door is opened none too gently. Ashley freezes on the landing, instinctively reaching for her phone. 2.45 pm. Saturday or not, Gold shouldn't be back for another two hours at least, like he has never been in all the time she has worked for him. She'll probably never known how he can occupy himself for so long with his work in his shop, but she's grateful that he does.

"Let's find a bedroom?"

The unexpected arrival of her employer might have surprised her, but that's nothing compared to hearing that question.

A _woman_.

In _Gold's_ house.

Suggesting they go to a _bedroom_.

Gold's answer is lost on her, but the sound of hasty footsteps on the stairs is unmistakeable. Shocked, her legs barely able to move, Ashley steps back into an unused bedroom, praying that this won't be the very one that he and the woman head towards.

Peeking around the corner, she's thoroughly relieved that the two people stumble towards the master bedroom. Said relief is quickly replaced by bewilderment when she sees that it isn't just any woman who all but drags Gold towards the nearest bed… it's Belle French.

Young, _beautiful_ Belle French.

Ashley has heard plenty of rumors about her employer and the librarian, but she never believed that those two could feel anything for each other. In fact, she couldn't imagine Gold feeling something other than hatred or loathing for anyone to begin with.

Until now.

Gold and Belle disappear into the master bedroom on the other side of the landing, giving her the perfect opportunity to escape. Figuring that he won't mind that she won't complete her work today, that he probably won't even notice that she hasn't finished her tasks, Ashley finds that her legs are working again.

Struggling out of her apron and dropping her duster and rag right there and then, she tiptoes back to the landing, towards the stairs. She's as soundless as she hoped to be, quickly starting her descent while she blocks out the sounds coming from the master bedroom to the best of her abilities.

But before she reaches the third step of the stairs, there comes a barely human noise from the very place she's fleeing. She didn't know that any man could make such a primal sound, let alone the repressed, rigid and completely joyless landlord.

Unable to help herself, Ashley looks over her shoulder. The door is wide open, giving her unrestricted view on the huge bed in the middle of the room - and the two people who occupy it. Right there, on the clean sheets she just so very carefully put there, are Gold and Belle.

They are kissing frantically… if you can call the way they desperately press their mouths together a kiss. They're both still almost fully clothed, but that's where her luck ends when seeing the most unpleasant sight of her life. Her employer is lying on top of the librarian, his back towards their accidental audience, the small man desperately grinding his hips against the even smaller woman's.

Ashley is horribly certain that she won't ever get this image of a dry-humping Gold out of her mind. Yet worse than that, she is incapable of looking away, against her better judgment taking in the sight of his gracelessly moving ass and his increasingly high-pitched groans, the way he sloppily breaks the kiss when the woman's nearness clearly becomes too much for him.

Her employer is paying Belle for letting him do this, there's no doubt in her mind about that. Given what he pays her to _clean_ , she can imagine the new librarian being tempted to let the ugly bastard hump her like a teenage boy.

Hell, _she_ would have been tempted if Gold would have come to her with this offer. Before she met Sean, when she still went to the Rabbit Hole, she got touched by guys there almost just as much as what she's seeing here - and she sure as hell wasn't getting paid anything for _that_.

"You feel so good," Belle whispers, but not quite soft enough for Ashley not to hear as well.

She frowns in disapproval when the other woman smiles brightly, wondering why the librarian is making this unrequired effort to flatter his ego. After all, Gold's face is pressed against her neck, so he can't even see her expression.

"Sweetheart..." he pants in a tone which Ashley will never be able to bleach out of her memories either.

"Don't hold back," Belle moans far too enthusiastically, shoving both her hands down his back, beneath his clothes, grasping his ass.

Gold _growls_ in response and blindly grabs for the headboard, holding onto it so tightly she's surprised that it doesn't break. He moves more roughly and with yet less finesse than before, jerking against her, especially when Belle locks her ankles behind his back, urging him on.

Ashley can't hold back a snort of horrified amusement at the sudden, tell-tale stillness of her employer's body so soon after getting into the bedroom. Luckily, her sound is drawn out by the pathetic noise that Gold lets out when he comes in his trousers and collapses on top of his doubtlessly very well-paid lover.

Belle is still smiling, caressing his gray hair while muttering lovingly to him. Ashley is bewildered by this over the top display of affection on the librarian's part… until the truth of what's she's _not_ seeing hits her harder than what she's currently witnessing.

_God, Belle actually_ wants _to do this. With_ him.

This realization makes her almost sad for Belle's sake that the landlord is lying still on top of her, probably already asleep. The librarian doesn't seem to care though, lovingly running her fingers through his damp hair, her legs still around his waist. Gold raises himself again however, pushing himself up on his arms to look his partner in the eyes.

"You didn't…" he mutters, glancing between their bodies, "did you?"

This time, Ashley can hold back a snort, if only barely so, at the discovery that her employer seems to think that Belle could have gotten any pleasure from _that_.

"I almost did," the librarian smiles at him.

Yet more bewildered than she already was, Ashley wonders whether both of them are just plain weird - Gold for being the way he is and Belle for… well, for seeming to really, _really_ like him exactly like that.

"I'm sorry, sweetheart. _So_ sorry. I should have…"

"There's nothing to be sorry for," she says, kissing him tenderly, "we're only just getting started, aren't we?"

Before the landlord can reply, Belle takes his hand and guides it underneath her skirt, between her thighs, with a matter-of-factness that makes Ashley gasp. So does Gold for that matter, his eyes going wide and his face becoming yet redder.

"Teach me?" he whispers, his tone pleading as he addresses his much younger lover.

Once she would have _loved_ to have proof that Gold has no idea how to touch a woman. But now that she has it, all she wants to do is forget about all this and to get away as quickly as possible. The couple on the bed will remain oblivious to her presence only for so long.

Just like that, Ashley finds that she can avert her gaze after all and that her legs are actually capable of continuing their path down the stairs. A moment later, she finally reaches the front door, her way out of this nightmare - but not before Belle's moans of undeniable pleasure have reached her ears.


	8. Clarke

Tom Clarke watches Gold and Belle with suspicion when they make their way through the aisles of his pharmacy. He's been a shop owner long enough to know when his patrons are up to no good. These two are definitely in that category.

It's strange in its own right that they've been in his shop for almost half an hour now, going from this corner to that and back again while talking in hushed voices. It's stranger yet to watch the most well-known - and the most infamous - couple in town together like this.

He may have seen the two of them together from afar before this, but he still finds it very hard to believe that there's apparently an actual, _happy_ romance going on between the most loathed man in town and the new librarian. But here they are, arms linked as they make their way through his store, their smiles oddly sincere and… well, in Gold's case, plain _odd_.

They make their way to the checkout counter after all, only for them to step abruptly back into an aisle when David Nolan heads in the same direction. As he rings up the purchases of the new father, sneezing while he does so, Tom keeps a close eye on the strange couple.

Not much later, after David is gone and they are the only customers left in the store, when it is in fact one minute past closing time, Gold and Belle head towards the checkout once more… only for the landlord to halt at the end of the last aisle, abruptly turning around.

"Come on, it won't be that bad," she says softly, placing a hand on his arm.

"You haven't lived in this town long enough yet, sweetheart," he mutters in response.

"Let's just say I want to keep living in this town a whole lot longer… and that you're going to be grateful when it's done. It's not like we can get them anywhere else."

"You're absolutely right. I'm sorry. It's just that…"

"I know," she replies, further lowering her voice. However, her words are still audible to the pharmacy owner, if barely so, because of the quietness around them. "But let's just get this over with? Try to think of what we can do afterwards."

"I'm doing my very best _not_ to think of that just yet," Gold says, his voice sounding unusually… well, not quite like normal.

"Would you like me to go on my own?"

"No, of course not, no. We're in this together. Especially after you talked to my housekeeper on my account. I don't think I'll ever be able to face her again myself."

"I can't _believe_ you forgot Ashley was there when we…" Belle says, looking both somewhat amused and utterly horrified.

"Well, I wasn't exactly thinking at the time."

"Me neither. At least she swears that she left after you…"

"I know you're going to say that it could have been much worse, but…"

"Well, we did get… louder after she left. And…barer."

"Either way, it's _mortifying_. But at least it's unlikely to happen again now that she agreed to a new schedule with you. I can't thank you enough for having that conversation in my place. I dread to think of what that must have been like."

"It obviously wasn't exactly pleasant. But unlike you I have the benefit of barely knowing her, at least that helped. I must admit that I… well, at that time I could imagine why one would want to intimidate someone into keeping their mouth shut," she says, looking meaningfully at Gold. "Unfortunately, it was of course already far too late for that."

Tom pretends not to hear anything, shuddering unpleasantly when he recalls the hushed conversation he overheard between Ashley and Ruby at Granny's the other day. Luckily, he has somewhat controlled himself by the time the two customers finally head towards the checkout desk after all and begin to empty their basket.

Belle hands him a credit card - which clearly is _Gold's_ credit card - whereas the one actually paying places the last items on the counter. For some reason, Belle obscures his work from Tom's view with her body.

Inwardly wondering why this couple is so _weird_ \- beyond the fact that they are together in the first place, that is - when he rings up their purchases one by one, Tom can't help but notice that both of them look decisively nervous, their faces somewhat flushed.

Telling himself that they might be ill and that they must be here for that reason, he is somewhat put at ease… only for the pharmacy owner to freeze when he finds a specific small box sitting not quite so innocently underneath some magazines which he can't imagine either of them having any interest in - or rather, _three_ of said boxes. Which, on second thought, aren't all that small either.

"Is there a problem, Mr. Clark?" Belle asks, her tone considerably higher than usual.

"Of course not," he replies quickly, still staring at the three large boxes of high-end condoms on the counter.

Getting himself together, he continues his work, although he can't help but handle the three boxes of condoms as if they're radioactive. The awareness that Gold and Belle are buying _condoms_ is one he wishes he could lose immediately. Of course, they're hardly the only people buying them, but they are… well, _them_.

At least Gold's scowl isn't nearly as intimidating as usual now that he seems to feel as awkward as Tom does himself… and now that he is ringing up the very condoms with both the landlord and the librarian clearly can't wait to put to good use.

If only one of the sneezes which never seems to leave him alone were to occur now, he'd be distracted from all this for at least a fraction of a second… but even that minor relief is clearly not meant to be. There's nothing for him to do but put their purchases in a bag for them, realizing only when it's too late that he should have put the condoms in a lot earlier to prevent them ending up visibly on top of the pile.

"Anything else?" he forces himself to ask, as if this is any ordinary couple with an ordinary purchase.

"No thank you," she says brightly, taking the bag and turning to leave.

"Have a good evening," Tom says, bringing out his customary greeting through clenched teeth.

"I'm quite certain that we will, yes, thank you," Belle replies, her face bright red.

As if that isn't bad enough yet, she looks with almost tangible anticipation at her companion. At least Gold looks still as embarrassed as Tom feels himself when he takes their bag with purchases from her and places an admittedly protective hand at the small of her back.

"The whole town will know about this before we are even home, won't they?" Belle mutters under her breath when they head towards the exit of the pharmacy.

"I'm afraid so, sweetheart."

"You were right, this _was_ as awful as you predicted. But at least, we can… enjoy ourselves for the time being. As for the people who have such a strange interest in our love life… well, at least they know yet more now that you are _mine._ "

"I do love your view of the world, Belle. And to look at the bright side, like I'm learning from you, at least we can… proceed for quite some time now that we have been here."

"I hate to break it to you, but it seems you underestimate my appetite for you," Belle replies cheekily.

"We've got _thirty-six_ of them," the landlord replies, manages to sound incredulous and very, very excited at the same time.

"As I said…" Belle begins cheerfully, the rest of his answer thankfully lost as he opens the door for her and they leave the shop.

The sneeze he desperately hoped for a moment ago only arriving when it's already too late, Tom tries to console himself with the knowledge that there probably won't be any Gold Juniors terrorizing the town anytime soon.


	9. Whale

Dr. Whale's professional smile falters slightly when the next people which his nurse ushers into his office are none other than Mr. Gold and Belle French. The doctor, like the rest of the town, is slowly but surely coming to terms with the apparent fact that those two really are together, but that doesn't make it any stranger to see Gold in his office with a woman at his side - a _gorgeous_ woman, even.

"What seems to be the problem?" he asks, realizing that both halves of the couple come across as rather nervous.

When they look at one another as if to silently determine who is going to say what, Dr. Whale takes his chance to scrutiny them. It's obvious immediately that Belle is wearing much nicer clothes than she did a few weeks ago - clothes which a small town librarian without a side income can't afford.

The doctor smirks inwardly, feeling that he has solved the mystery of this couple, just like that. Really, the relationship between the much disliked, middle-aged landlord and the beautiful young librarian isn't all that strange when Gold's financial situation is taken into account… which Belle is clearly profiting from.

There have been a variety of reports from townspeople who once thought along exactly the same lines as Dr. Whale does himself, but who somehow become convinced of the legitimacy of the relationship between Gold and Belle.

Dr. Whale is not one of them. He may not have seen nearly as much of the public outings of the couple as others have, but he likes to think of himself as a man of the world - especially in this tiny town. Indeed, he has worked in Boston for a few years and he knows the ways of the world… he knows how a couple such as the one opposite him get together.

The silent conversation between the two is going on a lot longer than expected, a variety of things seemingly wordlessly said by them with merely their eyes, the corners of their mouths and the smallest of gestures with their heads and hands. For a couple which is only together because of money, they appear to understand one another surprisingly well.

"We'd like to discuss the options regarding birth control," Belle says eventually, her face as flushed. "Particularly, birth control of the… not interfering variety."

"I guess you're tired of visiting the pharmacy every Friday, huh?" Dr. Whale concludes, starting to see why they have come here… and why they're so incredibly awkward.

"People actually keep track of that?!" Gold mutters, utterly chagrined.

"Well, it _is_ quite the talk of town," the doctor says, purposefully not holding back his amusement entirely.

This conversation hardly qualifies as payback for the few times he did business with Gold, which didn't exactly turn out the way that Dr. Whale envisioned them, but it's a good start. Just like the pawnbroker feigned innocence in those matters, so will the doctor if it has to come to that… which seems unlikely, seeing the entertaining shade of the other man's face.

"Which is why we are here," she says pointedly. "I've done some research on my own but _you_ are the expert of course, so we'd like to hear your advice on this matter. We should probably tell you upfront that we're not looking for anything… permanent."

"I see," Dr. Whale smiles easily, not convinced at all by the woman's implication that they are considering to have _children_ one day.

Making himself more comfortable in his expensive chair behind his equally expensive desk, he decides that he has to be somewhat on his guard. Belle may not fool _him_ , but she has Gold wrapped around her little finger and she's clearly smart enough to keep the admittedly intelligent man under her thumb.

"We've decided that both of us should get tested and that we share the results with each other. There's no secrets between us," she continues, a statement which would have caused him to chuckle out loud if only Gold hadn't nodded so sincerely at those words.

"What tests are you thinking of?" he asks, knowing the answer perfectly well but seeing no reason whatsoever to make this any easier for them.

"Since you're a doctor, I can only hope that you know that, given the context, I can only be referring to STD tests."

"Of course, of course," he smiles smoothly at her. "I can see that you've done your homework."

"I'll thank you not to patronize my… not to patronize Miss French, _Dr._ Whale."

The doctor shrugs, feigning ignorance of his jibe. He's much more interested in the other man's hesitation when referring to the woman at his side, as if Gold himself doesn't know how to refer to his paid companion either… or at least, not in public, not without giving himself away.

No matter how tempting it would be to ask them if they think that they _need_ those tests, he decides not to push his luck, no matter how amusing the result might be. Instead, he launches into a long perfected lecture on the available tests and the pros and cons of different methods of birth control.

As soon as he starts speaking, Belle gathers a notebook almost as if out of thin air and writes along with him almost as quickly as he talks. As soon as he is done with his speech, she starts firing questions at him, first with some hesitance but with an increasing confidence which belies the lingering redness on her cheeks.

He briefly wonders how on earth those two are sleeping together if they can't actually have this conversation without blushing with each word that's said.

Gold looks on gratefully as she asks one question after the other, most of them relating to how soon the effects of the various potential options of birth control will allow them to have safe intercourse without having to rely on condoms.

The doctor can't escape the feeling that, for a woman who's paid to sleep with a cantankerous cripple twice her age, she's surprisingly… eager to actually do so. In fact, he can't shake the feeling that everything is not what he thinks it is, that he's _missing_ something, although he has no idea what that might be. There isn't anything that clearly proves that his assumptions regarding them are wrong, but at the same time…

"You said that the contraceptive pill is 'practically' a hundred percent effective," Belle says, just when he hoped that she was _finally_ satisfied with the additional explanations he has already given. "But my own research indicates that, depending on the type of pill prescribed, the odds of pregnancy are still 97%."

"As I said, since at least 97 in a hundred women don't get pregnant, it's _practically_ an efficiency of a hundred percent."

"So three out of a hundred women _do_ get pregnant. Each _year_. So, theoretically, that's thirty pregnancies in a decade. I don't call that _practically_ a hundred percent effective."

Dr. Whale has to suppress his annoyance, especially when Gold is openly smirking at him, seemingly no longer embarrassed now that she becomes increasingly bold. Hell, it's not as if it even matters, as if _those_ two are going to have sex often enough to statistically get near the tiny chance of conceiving a child while using this type of birth control.

_As if._

Still, there's nothing for him to do but to expand on the variety of contraceptive pills and the difference between them. In the end, they opt for the pill regardless. He's somewhat relieved when the conversation comes to its conclusion immediately afterwards. Dr. Whale decides to get the procedures they requested over with as quickly as possible, if only for his own sake, so he can put this strange, rather intimidating couple out of his head.


	10. Jefferson

Jefferson slowly makes his way through the moonlit forest, grinning broadly when he spots another promising patch of low growth. It's almost midnight; the perfect time to find herbs and other… plants of interest which he both sells and keeps for personal use.

Despite the late hour, the temperature is still pleasant and thanks to the bright, full moon he doesn't need any artificial light to work by. It's wonderful quiet in the forest too; he's far out of town and he's quite certain he's the only one who has any ideas about the treasures growing here, ready for the taking.

Carefully cutting off some leaves and putting them in his hat which he holds as if it is a bucket, he moves on to a interesting looking cluster of undergrowth a few feet ahead… only to stop dead in his tracks when he hears voices.

To ensure himself that it's in fact not the plants who are talking, Jefferson looks up from the ground, seeing that he has unknowingly approached people. He recognizes Gold, looking less like an imp than usual lately, and the pretty librarian who doesn't seem to leave his side these days.

Scowling, he realizes that he has been getting close to the well in the forest, unpleasantly near to the grounds which, just like many others, are possessed by Gold. Knowing that the landlord will throw him off his property if he is seen, as if forest can be _owned_ by anyone, Jefferson ducks into the shadows, determined to continue his work without being interrupted.

He doesn't like having to hide and he likes it almost even less that he can't shut out the nearness of the two others as their voices disturb the previous peace and quiet. Every once in a while, he glances in their direction to make certain that he hasn't been noticed, finding that they appear to be having a picnic near the well.

A picnic. Near the well. At midnight. And they call _him_ unhinged.

To make matters worse, their voices are carried far and clear by the gentle breeze. At least they're upwind from him, making the change smaller that they hear him, but at the same time he can't escape hearing their conversation.

Said conversation is quite limited for a while as they busy themselves with the food and beverages they brought with them. But far too soon they are speaking softly to one another about this and that, both of them frequently laughing softly about things that don't see funny to Jefferson at all.

"It's so lovely to be here," Belle sighs happily, lying down on the plaid they brought with them, her head in the lap of her companion.

"Indeed," he mutters, caressing her hair with a gesture which seems uncharacteristically tender.

"It's so good not to be disturbed or gawked at for once," she adds, causing Jefferson to snort out loud.

Luckily for him, Gold appears to do something similar, masking his own sound.

"I wholly agree, sweetheart. Which makes me wonder, since we can't seem to escape the attention of the good people of this town unless we go to a place like this in the middle of the night… wouldn't you wish to live anywhere else? Some place where we can have more privacy and where we will be left alone?"

Still kneeling down and looking intently at the vegetation on the ground, Jefferson wishes that she _does_ want to move, far away, and that she'll take the power-hungry imp with her.

"I've thought about it, actually. It's true that the people here can be a bit… much. But at the same time… I'm very fond of quite a few of them."

"They even seem to warm up to _me_ as well," Gold says, sounding as disbelieving as Jefferson thinks he should be.

"They're finally starting to see you for who you really are. It's just a pity that it took them so long."

"I think they're warming up to _you_ , sweetheart, as they should, and that they merely accept me as…"

"As a package deal," she concludes happily. "I _am_ glad to live here, despite… well. Besides, your house and your garden _are_ very private. As long as Ashley isn't there, at least."

"Luckily she's isn't around all that often. Speaking of the house and garden... I'd hoped that you'd come to think of them as _our_ house and _our_ garden."

"I… I do, actually. Yes. It's just that… Although it seems so much longer, I've been here for only a few weeks. Everything is going so fast… in a good, very good way, but very fast regardless."

"Yes, it's very true that we've been together for only a short while. I'm very much aware of that. And yet…"

There's something in the way that Gold falters that causes Jefferson to look back at the pair.

"What is it?" she asks carefully, Belle too clearly sensing that something is going on.

"I… there's been something I want to ask you, sweetheart," he announces, sitting up to face her.

"You know that you can ask me anything, don't you?" she asks softly, reaching for him to run her fingers lovingly through his hair.

"I know that," he says, nodding gratefully at her. "It's just that… this isn't an easy question."

He falters again, but there must be something in her eyes which causes him to continue, no matter how hesitantly.

"Like you said, we have been together for only a few weeks and we barely know each other any longer than that. But to me, it does feel like we've been together for a long time and I certainly know that I want to be with you for much, much longer than that."

"I feel the same way," she breathes, looking at him with growing anticipation.

"So I was wondering, sweetheart, even though we've been together so shortly, if only because it seems only fair that you know how I feel… and please, by no means consider this as… it's merely a suggestion and it's not something that I necessarily want to see happening any time soon, but maybe for somewhere further down the road…"

Jefferson frowns, wondering why the man who is known for his eloquence is talking like _this_ when only Belle is there to hear him for as far as Gold knows.

"What are you saying?!" she breathes, despite his ramble seeming to sense to at least some extent where this is going.

"Belle French," he says, at the same time reaching for what appears to be a small box in one of his pockets, "will you do me the honor and the privilege of accepting me as your husband?"

Jefferson's mouth falls open when it dawns on him that he is accidentally witnessing a marriage proposal... which is in fact the proposal of the most unlikely couple in town. People tend not to believe him when he tells him things and they definitely won't believe if they hear of _this_ , no matter how true it actually is.

Gold looks with hope and almost tangible nervousness alike at the woman whom he has asked to be his wife. For just a moment, Belle looks as if she's as surprised as their unwilling audience, but then she smiles widely and practically throws herself in the arms of her future husband.

"Yes, _yes_!" she brings out, laughing merrily while she wraps her arms around his neck to hold him tight.

Gold is the one who is clearly surprised now, but he returns her embrace immediately and closes his eyes as if in gratitude regardless, burying his face in her hair.

"I love you so much, sweetheart."

"I love you too."

"I think you just offered me a ring?" she asks as she gently untangles herself from him, her smile if possible yet more radiant.

"I… I did, yes," he replies, looking around for the box which he dropped when he returned the embrace of the woman who is now his fiancée.

He retrieves it after a moment, taking out the ring to properly offer it to her this time. After she nods eagerly, he slides it around her finger with careful, trembling hands. As soon as she is wearing the ring, they reach for each other for a very enthusiastic kiss, causing Jefferson to decide that he might as well come back at a later, quieter time.


	11. Cruella

Cruella De Vil looks around with apprehension when she heads towards the premises of Mr. Gold Pawnbroker & Antiquities Dealer, taking another comforting sip of gin. Usually, she leaves it to others to do her dirty work, but now that her marriage to her fourth husband is over she's hit a bit of a rough patch and she has got to take care of things herself – for now.

Luckily, she recalled that she pawned quite some jewelry to Gold last year, after her third marriage ended. Since she happened to be in the area and figured that, knowing the reputation of the shop, the jewelry is right where she left it, Cruella decided that she might as well retrieve it… especially when she heard at the local diner that the pawnbroker somehow got _married_ and that he's currently out of town for a very lengthy honeymoon.

Taking that as another good sign, she reaches the pawn shop and regretfully drops the now empty bottle of gin in a bin. Grateful for the thick clouds overhead, she is pleased to see that the shop is indeed as abandoned as it should be. Since Gold is gone, it has become easier yet to retrieve her belongings exactly the way she intends to: without actually paying for them.

Well, she _did_ pay in the sense that she had to lower herself to learning how to use the lockpick tools which she once confiscated from one of her many by now former step-daughters. Still, that will be forgotten soon enough when she has bested the pawnbroker's security, which is doubtlessly still as flimsy as it was a few years ago.

She makes her way to the entrance on the side of the building, knowing that she'll be yet less likely to be seen there breaking into the shop at this time of night. The charms of small, sleepy towns… Still, better to be safe than sorry, so she works as quietly and quickly as she can. The lock doesn't yield as quickly as she would like, but the little tools provide her access nonetheless after a minute or so.

Cruella shiftly slips inside the shop, making certain to make as little noise as possible with her heels on the wooden floor. Her eyes are automatically drawn to the spot where she last saw her valuables… only for her gaze to focus on the dim light coming from an adjoining room, which is only visible now that she's already inside the building.

Frowning, she wonders whether Gold can have been so careless as to leave the light on when he's away for such a long trip. Before she gets to tell herself that he must have, probably distracted by the fact that there appears to have been someone desperate enough to get married to _him_ , there's the highly unwelcome sound of a voice.

"I thought we came here right after arriving back in town to take a look at the items we brought on our trip."

Cruella freezes when she recognizes Gold's voice, glancing back at the door through which she came - which is currently much further away than she would like it to be.

"That was my intention as well," a woman says. "But now that we are here, I realize that this place is quicker to reach than our home… and that this very cot here has served us rather well in the past."

"Why, are you telling me that, despite a three month honeymoon, you still haven't tired of me?"

" _Never_."

Her first instinct is to cringe when Cruella realizes that she's accidentally listening to a rather private conversation between Gold and the surprisingly young sounding woman whom he must have married. But when the conversation audibly turns into something yet more intimate, she couldn't be happier.

Apparently, their long honeymoon has come to an end after all… and they're continuing it right here, in the back room of the shop. Gold's presumed wife sounds a lot more enthusiastic than any woman with the sour and short pawnbroker ought to be, but it's probably for the best that they're right here, doing what they're doing.

Indeed, she couldn't have asked for a better distraction. How sweet it will be not only to steal from Gold, but also to do so from right beneath his very nose. Of course, to make certain that he'll never find out that _she_ robbed him, she's going to take more items from his shop than merely those which she once owned herself. _Much_ more.

Which will hardly be a problem, obviously.

"Do you like that, husband?" his wife asks teasingly, her inquiry followed by a loud grunt from Gold.

"Oh yes, sweetheart, you _know_ I do... _please_..."

Smirking, Cruella realizes that she doesn't even have to be quiet; those two are making so much noise that she could probably smash up the glass display cases without being heard. As it is, she is a bit more tentative than that, quickly opening the most discreet bag she could find in her collection earlier that evening.

Moving quickly, she reminds herself to hurry regardless of the obvious distraction of the couple in the other room, merely dozens of feet away. She has no idea when they might be done and perhaps return to the shop but, knowing the tiny man, the moment that the distraction is over will probably be sooner rather than later.

Her jewelry is indeed exactly where she though it would be… and so are a great many other jewels and equally shiny other objects. While the woman in the other room gets increasingly loud, Cruella grabs one valuable bauble after another. There's a lot more than she predicted and her head is spinning with the profit that she'll be able to make from this.

Indeed, all her financial problems will be over at once. All she has to do is - almost leisurely - collect each and every priceless item which catches her attention.

Still, better not to push it. Her watch shows her that the minutes are flying by and the activities in the other room are clearly reaching a crescendo. Just a few more earrings - and a few more necklaces now that she's here anyway - and she'll…

Both her own exertion and the one in the other room come to an abrupt end when the front door of the shop is thrown upon violently.

"Hands up in the air, right where I can see them!" a masculine voice yells, the owner of said voice aiming a flashlight at her.

Bewildered, wondering how the hell _this_ has happened, Cruella for once does as she is told. The jewelry she looted falls from her suddenly numb fingers, as if the rest of the scene wasn't incriminating enough yet.

"What on earth is going on?" Gold's wife asks, stumbling from the other room after a moment.

Despite the situation, Cruella can't help but stare at her, bewildered that the scrawny, middle-aged pawnbroker has married this young, gorgeous woman… who, now that she thinks of it, sounded more than willing and eager just a a moment ago.

As if to remind her of how unlikely it is that _Gold_ has married someone like her, the owner of the shop himself joins her a moment later, placing a protective arm around his wife's back.

"Mr. Gold and Miss… Mrs. Gold," the man with the flashlight says, pointing it in their direction. "What are you doing here? It's the middle of the night."

"Well, it _is_ our shop," the owner replies dryly.

"We were… taking inventory," his wife adds. "We've brought quite some antique merchandise during our honeymoon. It's a… hobby of ours."

"'Taking inventory'... is that what you're calling it these days?" Cruella mutters, now that the light is on them noticing that both their faces are bright-red and that their hair is disheveled.

On top of that, the usually admittedly impeccable pawnbroker's chest is only covered by a crumpled undershirt, his fly is undone and his wife is wearing her blouse inside out.

"Never mind that," Gold continues, "what is _she_ doing here?!"

"Can't I visit an old friend?" she pouts, attempting to shove the all but bursting bag and the jewelry which spills from it out of sight.

"We're not _friends,_ Cruella. We weren't before this and we certainly are not now that you attempted to rob my wife and I. I dread to think what might have happened if Belle hadn't insisted only a few months ago that we should upgrade the security of the shop."

Cruella barely hears what he says when she glances back at the man who caught her. Now that he isn't shining the light in her eyes any longer, she can finally take a proper look at him. Even the fact that he's wearing a sheriff uniform doesn't make him any less attractive.

"Sheriff, please make certain that this woman hasn't got any merchandise on her person when you arrest her."

"Hello, gorgeous," she purrs at the sheriff when he approaches her, his response lost on her when he removes a set of handcuffs from his belt. "Yes, you'd better frisk me… _everywhere_."

Despite this temporary setback of her arrest, her situation doesn't seem nearly as bleak as it did a few hours ago.


	12. Ariel

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Many thanks to Inkfire for the wonderful beta work.

Ariel happily circles through Mr. and Mrs. Gold's shop for the third time that afternoon. The place has quickly become her favorite in town, and she is very glad that she can visit it again after it closed for so long during the honeymoon of the owners. She's also glad that there's no sign of the burglary which took place only a few days ago.

She may have been too afraid of Mr. Gold to ever come here before, but thanks to her new friend Belle, she has learned that there's nothing to be afraid of… and that there are in fact yet more wonderful things to be found in the shop than she expected.

In fact, she'd go so far as to say that she's quite fond of him now that she's getting to know him a little. He's often explaining to her what the most unusual items in his shop are for and, unlike many others, he doesn't laugh about her fascination for seemingly simple objects.

She's especially liked him since he first made a habit of pointing out items to her which are within her budget. Sometimes, he even gives her things for _free,_ insisting that they're worthless to him and that he would only throw them away otherwise.

They may be simple bits of metal and string, but Ariel can _easily_ fashion new items from them, which do a very nice job of decorating her apartment. Yet beyond that, she likes the way Mr. Gold still makes her friend smile and swoon... although she can't shake the feeling that Belle has seemed a bit worried these past few days, no matter how often she tries to ensure her otherwise.

As if she had heard her thoughts, the librarian hurries into the shop. Ariel waves at her, but her friend doesn't see her standing in the dimly lit corridor and rushes straight to the back room instead. Intending to speak to Belle whenever her business there is concluded, she continues browsing.

"Hey, sweetheart," Mr. Gold greets his wife in the back room.

"Hey," she replies, not sounding nearly as enthusiastic as she usually does when meeting her husband.

"Is something the matter, Belle?" he asks, the concern which Ariel has felt for the past few days now audible in his voice as well.

"I… we've got to talk."

"What's wrong, sweetheart? Did something unpleasant happen? Are you… are you _ill_? Do you wish to… leave me?"

"No, no, it's nothing like that," she replies, but the way she sounds like she's about to burst into tears isn't making Ariel feel any better. There's no doubt that the same goes for Mr. Gold.

"Please, Belle, what's going on?!"

"I'm quite certain that… I think I'm pregnant."

" _What?_ "

Ariel is suddenly very much aware that she's eavesdropping, no matter how accidentally she ended up doing so, and that she should leave as quickly as possible to give Belle and Mr. Gold all the privacy they obviously require.

But when she takes a tentative step towards the exit, the floorboards beneath her feet squeak far more loudly than she'd like. Deciding that disturbing the very private conversation in the other room will probably be worse than overhearing it, Ariel decides to stay right where she is, only listening to their discussion because there's currently no way for her _not_ to hear it.

"I… my period was late. I didn't think too much of it, but when it didn't come for another week… this morning I got a pregnancy test, just in case and… well. I did two other tests, also just in case… I'm quite sure that I'm pregnant."

"That's… how do you feel about that, sweetheart?"

"I don't know," Belle says, sounding miserable. "I was happy at first, but then I realized… we didn't plan this. In fact, we planned _not_ to have kids, at least not for the time being. We talked about it more than once. I'm certain that I've been taking the pill regularly, especially on our honeymoon, but…"

"So, other than the plans we initially made, you're… you're not _unhappy_ with your pregnancy?"

"I'm not, no. It's all overwhelming and a bit… well, a bit scary. I know this isn't what we had in mind, let alone so _soon_. Especially as you were the first to suggest we wait before thinking about having children, let alone actually having them. I know how complicated the relationship between you and your son is, so I figured…"

"Wait, sweetheart, are you telling me that you think _I_ don't want to have children because of Neal?"

"You didn't actually say so, but given the things you _did_ tell me I figured…"

"Belle, no, _no,_ it's not that! I'd _love_ to have children with you. The only reason I was reluctant, the only reason I suggested to wait… you're so _young_ , sweetheart, and we still haven't been together all that long. You've got your whole life ahead of you, you've got so many years left in which you can have children… I thought you'd want to see the world first, to continue your work in the library…"

"Well, one thing doesn't rule out the other, does it?" she says softly. "Besides, I've always wanted to be a mother. This might be a bit sooner than I had thought, but other than that…"

"So you're saying that you're… happy to have a child? With _me_?"

"I am, yes! As long as… well, as long as you're happy too."

"I am, sweetheart. I _am_. Very much so."

To Ariel it already seemed like both of them were in fact very pleased with the discovery that Belle is carrying a child, but only after another few seconds does the joyous laughter coming from the other room tell her that the married couple has come to the same conclusion.

"Maybe this is meant to be," Belle says. "Our unexpected but very welcome miracle."

"Indeed," Mr. Gold mutters, sounding overcome with emotion. "I can barely believe it. We're going to be _parents_ to a beautiful baby, sweetheart."

"I know! I can hardly believe it. It's still in a very early stage of course, but isn't it wonderful?"

"Can I… can I touch your belly? I know that there probably isn't anything to feel yet, but…"

"Of course you can. You probably _can_ feel all the lovely food I had on our honeymoon, but…"

The couple seems to have moved from their original position and Ariel can now see Mr. Gold embracing Belle lovingly, his hand lightly stroking her belly. Not wanting to be spotted, she steps out of their line of sight as quietly as she can.

"I think the baby was conceived in France," Belle says after a while. "That makes the most sense, giving the… timing."

"We did spend almost three weeks there," Mr. Gold remarks with some amusement.

"I still can't believe it. I _finally_ got to Paris and all I wanted to do the first week was stay in bed with you."

"I still can't believe that I can apparently compete with the Louvre to hold your interest, either, my sweet wife."

Belle giggles happily—and so does Mr. Gold.

"We'll probably have to see Dr. Whale quite soon," he adds, no longer sounding pleased.

"Yes. At the end of the day we visit him, the entire town will probably know about the pregnancy… never mind doctor-patient confidentiality. Then again, he might not be able to believe I'm pregnant at all, since the anticonception pill he prescribed is, according to him, _practically_ a hundred percent effective."

"That fraudulent quaker," Mr. Gold mutters. "I suggest we find a better doctor now that the health of our child is at stake."

"You know as well as I do that he's the only doctor in town."

"How about we find another doctor, in another town?"

"Sounds perfect to me. Like I said, pregnancy doesn't rule out seeing the world! We shouldn't cross the Atlantic again just yet, but the world starts right outside the borders of this town!"

"Sweetheart, I just realized, if you bought those pregnancy tests... the whole town might already know."

"Well, I didn't plan to tell you straight away, but I… I sort of stole them."

"You _sort_ of stole them?" Mr. Gold repeats, sounding both amused and slightly worried.

"I bought lots of other stuff, like with the condoms, but this time I put the pregnancy tests underneath my coat and left the money I should have paid for them on the counter where Mr. Clarke could find it later."

"You actually got away with that?" he asks again, his initial worry replaced with mirth.

"I'm quite certain I did! I think people expect such stunts from you, not me."

"Indeed. My sweet, very _innocent_ wife."

When the two burst into laughter again, Ariel uses the sound to cover her belated escape from the shop. Once outside, she notices that she's got tears of happiness for the newlywed couple in her eyes. She's never been good at keeping secrets, but she's going to keep _this_ one, for Belle's and Mr. Gold's sake.


	13. Leroy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Many thanks to Inkfire for the wonderful beta work.

Leroy is staring longingly at the axe displayed in the back of Gold's shop. He makes a point of not coming here often, both because of his hatred for the owner and because it simply hurts to look at his most beloved possession… or rather _former_ possession, since he used it to pay for his rent when he was between jobs a few months ago.

It was both a blessing and a curse that the old heirloom was worth more than he thought. If it hadn't been for that axe, he'd be homeless by now… but there's no way he can afford to buy it back.

At least it's so expensive that he highly doubts someone else will buy it, either. At least he gets to look at it every once in a while, especially now that Belle keeps an eye on the shop sometimes, like right now.

Some people are saying that Gold isn't as bad as it's been said, or at least not as bad as he _was_ , now that he's married to the sweetest woman in town and that the two of them have an angelic daughter together.

Leroy is not one of those people. That makes it, in a way, only more confusing that he likes Belle so much, like a sister almost. He glances at her, sitting behind the counter with her nose in a book, her newly-born baby napping in her arms.

Almost as if his gaze had disturbed its sleep, the infant opens its tiny eyes and begins to cry. Its mother reacts immediately and he can't help but stare while the young mother—unsuccessfully—tries to calm it down.

"Why are you crying, little one?" she whispers to the child, rocking it gently. "You've been fed only half an hour ago and I changed you right before that. I know your papa is better at calming you than I am, but he isn't here right now. He'll be back soon. Can you try to relax until then?"

Before he knows what he's doing, Leroy has stepped away from his beloved axe in order to approach the wife of the man he hates so much and the baby who might as well be the devil's spawn. Only when Belle looks up at him in surprise does he realize that he's standing almost right in front of her.

"Any suggestions?" she asks, looking meaningfully at the restless child in her arms, her tone both expectant and slightly desperate.

"Well, I… maybe…"

He bows his head, suddenly feeling uncertain and rather stupid.

"Please, Leroy, if you have any tips… I'm still trying to get the hang of this. Her father is better with her, but he's gone to buy us lunch at Granny's. It's the middle of lunch time right now, so I'm afraid it'll be quite some time until he returns and can get her back to sleep."

"I don't have any kids myself, but I've got quite a few brothers and that makes a lot of nephews and nieces between the six of them. I babysit many of them, and I like to think that I learned quite some tricks while…"

"Please," she says, handing him her baby as if she wholly trusted him with her own kid… with _Gold's_ kid.

Despite the knowledge that the landlord will probably kill him as he accidentally even looks at the baby the wrong way, Leroy takes it from her, his hands feeling particularly large and clumsy when the infant is placed in them.

The child which he feared to be the offspring of the devil himself is in fact by far the loveliest baby he has ever seen, never mind that she's still crying. Although there's no pink clothing article in sight, her little face makes it clear to him that she's a girl.

"What's her name?" he asks, despite himself.

"Mireille," she replies lovingly, causing him to frown in reaction to the foreign-sounding name. "It's French. She was in all likelihood conceived there, despite… well. We feel like she's our miracle, and a book on baby names stated that the name 'mireille' means 'miracle' in French. We later found out that that isn't true, but we both liked the name so much that we decided to choose it for her."

"That sounds nice," he replies, the words genuine, to his surprise.

"Say 'hi' to uncle Leroy, Mireille," she coos at the child, taking her tiny hand in her own to gently wave it at him.

Overcome by a strange feeling he can't quite define now that Belle acts like this with him and her kid, Leroy instinctively rocks the baby in his arms, his movements considerably stronger than her mother's were, just like he would do if she were any of his many cousins. To both his own and her mother's relief, she gurgles happily, reaching for his beard with surprisingly deft hands, her crying ceasing.

"Can you teach me that?" Belle asks, almost begging. "I've never seen her get quiet so quickly before!"

"Of course," he replies, although he doesn't feel like he has done anything particularly praiseworthy.

Carefully giving the baby back to her mother, making certain that the little one doesn't actually grab his beard, he shows Belle how he just rocked her baby. As she copies his movements, little Mireille closes her eyes again and falls asleep almost immediately.

"That's _amazing_ ," she breathes. "Thank you so much."

Leroy merely shrugs, wondering why there's heat rushing to his cheeks. He doesn't know how Belle does it, but she makes him feel like he's better than he actually is, like he _matters_. He can't help but think that this may be one of the many reasons why Gold likes her so much, his love for her based on something a lot purer than what quite a few people in town are still saying.

"Belle, if there's ever anything… if you ever need help or protection or anything like that, anything at all… I know I don't have much, that I _am_ not much, but…" He falters, not quite knowing what he's going to say, or even where this spontaneous offer comes from other than a sudden conviction that he wants to help her whenever she might need it. "Will you please let me know if I can ever do anything for you? Or for your baby?"

"I will, Leroy, thank you," she replies, tears appearing in her eyes, to his surprise. "Thank you so much. You're such a good friend. Please know that your offer goes both ways. If there's ever anything I can do for you…"

He briefly thinks of the axe which her husband holds hostage, but he shakes that thought off. This is about things that are a lot more important, and besides, he wouldn't want to get her between Gold and himself in this matter.

Before he realizes what's happening, Belle has wrapped one of her arms around him, hugging him as best she can without pressing her baby between them. To his chagrin, his cheeks feel like they've become yet redder, but that's forgotten when he also feels a warmth of sorts inside of him.

"Thanks, Belle. You're awesome."

"So are you," she beams at him.

Not quite knowing how to react to all this positive attention, Leroy is almost relieved when she is distracted by someone behind him, looking away from him… or at least he is until he follows her gaze and finds Gold standing there, half in the shadows, two bags from Granny's in his hand.

Leroy has no idea how long the landlord has been standing there, but he's very much aware that his wife just hugged him and that Gold isn't one for sharing. Quickly stepping away from Belle, he straightens himself to his full height, knowing only too well that he's still shorter than the other man.

"I should be going," he says, glancing back at his friend and her child. "Have a good day, Belle."

"Thank you. You too, Leroy," she says cheerfully, not sounding concerned.

"Good day," he mutters when he passes the landlord, relieved when he doesn't say anything in return.

He is counting down the steps until he can walk out of the shop, but when he still has five more to go, Gold speaks after all.

"Mr. Leroy?" The addressed man freezes, trying to brace himself for whatever is coming. "Why don't you take your axe with you on the way out?"

"I'd _love_ to, but you probably know as well as I do that I can't afford that," Leroy says through gritted teeth, turning around to face Gold, wondering what he's getting at.

"I didn't say you had to pay for it, did I?"

"You can take it, as a token of our appreciation for your friendship," Belle adds, probably sensing his confusion somehow. "It's a gift."

All Leroy can do for a few long seconds is just stand there, stunned.

"You don't do 'gifts', Gold."

Leroy can't help but wonder whether this whole thing has been a set-up of sorts. He has no idea what would even be the point of it, but it's strange and suspicious indeed that Gold not only doesn't seem to care that his wife just hugged him, but that he's giving away items from his shop for _free_ as well.

"If you want to protect my family if it ever comes to that, you might as well have something to defend them with."

There's a softness in the landlord's voice that Leroy has never heard there before. It's not one of the deceptive sort, but highly unexpectedly genuine. In combination with the gentle smile on Belle's face, it convinces him that this is truly a gesture of kindness.

" _Thank you_ ," he mutters, all but racing over to his beloved axe to take it out of the display with suddenly shaking hands.

They are no longer trembling though when he holds the tool like he once did, strong and certain. Nodding his gratitude to Belle and Gold when he finally leaves the shop, tightly holding on to his axe, Leroy has the strong feeling that thanks to his wife, the landlord truly is a changed man.


	14. Neal

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Many thanks to Inkfire for the wonderful beta work.

Neal Cassidy has never liked the rumor mill, the endless gossip and hearsay, of the tiny village where he grew up. He knows only too well that his father also hated it, if only because the things that were said about him were ceaselessly and endlessly negative. That's why it wholly surprises him that he has ended up in a different and yet very similar small town.

Admittedly, gossip and hearsay are the only reasons why Neal has come here. His father has always been very insistent on regularly letting him know where he lived, just in case his son wanted to see him again after all. Which he did _not_ , not wanting to have anything to do any longer with what the man who raised him had become.

The young man moved further and further away when those messages kept coming, until finally—once he had changed addresses in New York a few times, obviously without informing his father—they came no more.

But no matter where he went, it appeared that there was always _someone_ in his life to tell him about the loathed and feared landlord who ruled a tiny town in Maine like some sort of puppet master. Whether it was friends, colleagues or distant acquaintances, there always seemed to be _someone_ in his life who either knew his father or had heard of his reputation.

Knowing his father, he was convinced that those stories would never change… except they _did_. Although it has taken him a few months to realize that the landlord who became a new person after falling in love was, in fact, the same as the highly manipulative man he ran away from all those years ago.

Neal slowly approaches the front door of the large, pink house on the edge of town where Mr. and Mrs. Gold live with their child, according to the patrons of the local diner. He still finds it difficult to believe that his father has become so much milder and more loving after meeting a woman, and subsequently marrying and becoming a father again.

And yet, he believes it enough—he _wants_ to be believe it enough—to travel all the way from New York to rural Maine, the hope of having a good relationship with his father once more yet stronger than he thought.

Still, he remains in doubt as to whether he should really do this until the moment he steps onto the porch, reminding himself of his father's track record of disappointing him. But he has come all this way and if his father lets him down one more time after all, at least he'll know for certain that it was a good thing he cut him out of his life until now.

Despite himself, Neal is nervous when he rings the bell of the house, his heart beating almost painfully in his chest when he hears someone approach on the other side of the door. It is opened a few seconds later by a stunning and radiant woman, who barely looks older than himself.

He never quite believed the parts of the rumors which stressed the age of the woman who married his father, but it turns out that those were true after all. To his relief, there's something about her which gives him the distinct impression that she's fully aware of her situation and would put his father firmly in his place if he were to try anything inappropriate.

"How can I help you?" she asks, polite but clearly startled by his unexpected visit.

For a long moment, all he can do is take in the sight of her, trying to see how she might have transformed his father the way she apparently has.

She studies him in return, her expression betraying that the only pictures she might have glimpsed of him are at least twenty years old, but that she sees the resemblance between his face and his father's that he has hated for so long.

"Who is there, sweetheart?"

His father's voice is unmistakeable, but at the same time it sounds so very different than in his memories. There's a relaxed contentedness that has never been there before, a genuine kindness and love he could never have imagined.

Neal subconsciously holds his breath when his father steps into the hallway behind the woman. He looks away from her, his attention solely focused on the man he once ran away from. The cane he has in one hand is very familiar; the baby he holds in the other most definitely not.

"I'm here to see my father," he croaks, finding that there is a lump in his throat and tears in his eyes.

On the edge of his line of sight, he sees the woman's mouth fall open in surprise. His father's eyes go wide in realization as he hastily steps forward, the cane falling from his grasp. Although there's no sign that the hand which holds his child has gone equally numb, his wife must have the same worry as Neal suddenly does, for she carefully takes their baby from him.

Staring at the man he once vowed never to talk to again, he has the feeling that he really _has_ changed. Although he hasn't said anything yet, the very air around him seems different: lighter, _happier,_ entirely free from the implicit threat which used to linger there.

"Papa…" he whispers, taking an instinctive step forwards.

" _Neal_ ," he gasps, almost stumbling when he moves again as well.

His wife jolts into action immediately, going to stand at his side to support him. By the time she has reached him, so has Neal, wrapping both his arms around his father and pulling him against himself.

Only now that he is reunited with his father does it dawn on him just how much he was hoping for this, for him to finally have become a better person who doesn't only care about power. Only now does he realize how much he, despite everything, has missed him… and that he won't have to miss him any longer.

"I'm so glad you are here," his father says, his voice breaking. "I missed you _so much_ , my boy."

"I missed you too," Neal admits, tightening his hold on his father. "Very much. I never thought… I thought you would never change. I thought power would always be more important to you than family. But here you are…"

"Here we are," his father says, reluctantly breaking away to gesture at the woman and child at his side.

"I'm Belle," she says, offering him her hand.

"I'm Neal," he says while shaking it. "It's a pleasure to meet you."

"Likewise. I'm very glad that you are here."

"And this is Mireille, your baby sister," his father says, taking the baby in his arms. "Mireille, this is Neal, your big brother."

"Hello, sister," he says, waving at the tiny human being before brushing his hand against hers, noting that her clear blue eyes are obviously her mother's, whereas her nose and mouth are a lot like their father's—and, to a lesser extent, like his own.

For a while, they just stand there in the hallway, beaming at one another and familiarizing themselves with new and old faces through a veil of tears of happiness.

"Neal, after all those years… why did you come back now?" his father brings out, grasping for his arm as if to remind himself that Neal is truly there.

"It seems I couldn't escape rumors about you no matter where I went. When those rumors actually became positive, I figured it was time for me to come back and see for myself if you'd truly become a better man. Besides, I've always wanted to have a kid brother or sister, so I might as well come take a look."

"I never thought all that gossip about us would lead to anything good, but here we are," Belle remarks.

"Indeed," her husband says, to Neal's secret delight still staring at him as if he couldn't quite believe that all of this is real.

"I guess you gave the people here a lot to gossip about?" he asks, figuring that they must have been the subject of _much_ talk here.

"Don't even start," Belle replies, rolling her eyes.

"Do you want to come in?" his father eventually asks, gesturing at the rooms beyond the hallway.

"I'd love to, yeah," Neal replies, hugging him again. This time, his arms go around Belle and the baby as well.

When they eventually let go of one another, the woman he is already starting to think of as his family closes the front door behind them and ushers the still rather dumbfounded father and son into their home.


End file.
